A steam iron has a housing incorporating a handle, a heel on which the iron rests when not in use, and a heated soleplate to remove creases from clothes. A steam iron also has a reservoir to contain water which is supplied to a steam generator to generate steam which is ejected through steam distribution openings in the soleplate onto clothes as they are ironed to assist with crease removal.
After a period of use, conventional calcified deposits, commonly called ‘scale’, is formed in the steam generator as a result of the steam generation process, especially when the water being used to generate steam is hard. Many steam irons have a cleaning cycle or function in which the heater is heated to a high predetermined temperature and a large quantity of water is rapidly fed to the steam generator at once. This results in a lot of steam being generated in a short space of time which is ejected through the openings in the sole plate. As the jets of steam resulting from this rapid heating of a large amount of water can be quite powerful, they entrain particles of scale deposited within the steam generator and carry them out of the iron through the holes in the sole plate, thereby cleaning the steam generator and unblocking the openings in the sole plate.
A disadvantage with the cleaning cycle is that a user generally needs to hold the iron carefully so as to ensure that they, anyone else, furniture or goods that may be damaged by excessive steam will not be in the path of the jets. The scale entrained in the steam must also be cleaned up from any surfaces on which it lands. Furthermore, the iron may be at least partially enveloped by the steam, which can potentially cause some discomfort to the user. The weight of the iron and the length of the cleaning cycle may also be problematic for some users, who may find it difficult to hold the iron for the duration of the cleaning cycle.
As well as the potential danger caused by the steam enveloping the iron, the steam can also cause condensation to form on the housing and other components, which is undesirable.
A holder that is used to support a steam iron during periods of non-use is known from US2012/0017475 A1. The holder collects water spilt from a water reservoir fill-inlet of a steam iron received in the holder in the event that it is tipped up or dropped. Small amounts of steam and water that continue to be ejected from the sole plate after it has been switched off and placed in the holder pass through holes in a padded layer supporting the sole plate of the iron. However, the holder is not designed to enable a steam iron to undergo a cleaning cycle whilst in the holder and there is no opening for the egress of steam from the holder.